1. Gabriel means: “God is my strength” or “God is mighty”. Gabriel is one of only two angels mentioned by name in the Bible. Michael is the other. Raphael is mentioned in the Apocrypha, which is included in the Catholic Bible.

2. Gabriel appears in the Bible as a messenger on important occasions. The most famous example of this is the Annunciation when he visited the Virgin Mary and told her to prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:26-38).

3. Gabriel has always had a close association with motherhood. An ancient legend says that she announced the birth of Samson. She appeared to Zechariah to tell him that he and his wife Elizabeth should prepare for the birth of a son, John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-25). In Jewish tradition it is believed that Gabriel instructs the baby while he is in the womb.

4. Although not identified by name, many Christians believe that Gabriel announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds, warned Mary and Joseph that Herod’s soldiers were looking for Jesus, and removed the stone that sealed Jesus’ tomb.

5. Gabriel is considered the Archangel of Dreams, Premonitions and Clairvoyance. This happened after she helped Daniel understand the meaning and symbolism of his strange dreams (Daniel 8:16-27).

6. In the year 98 CE a strange letter appeared containing “the Commandments of Jesus Christ.” Supposedly it was written by Gabriel and became a relic of the early church. The originals of this letter were never produced, but copies were sold in England as lucky charms to provide secure work and protect the owner from evil and harm.

7. According to the Harmonists, a 19th-century religious sect, Gabriel visited their leader, Father George Rapp, in New Harmony, Indiana, and even left his mark on a limestone slab. It can still be seen today.

8. In Christian tradition, Gabriel will blow the horn to wake the dead on Judgment Day. The Judgment card in the Tarot deck illustrates this. Cole Porter wrote the song Blow, Gabriel, Blow for his 1934 musical Anything Goes.

9. Gabriel appeared to Muhammad and dictated the Koran to him. In Islamic tradition, Gabriel also taught Noah how to build his ark from the famous cedars of Lebanon. Muslims also believe that Gabriel gave Abraham the Black Stone of the Kaba. All who make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca kiss this stone.

10. One of the most notable stories about Gabriel is the Islamic belief that she invented coffee. One night, when Muhammad was extremely tired, Gabriel brought him a cup of coffee. This not only kept him awake, but also gave him the strength to defeat forty horsemen and satisfy forty women.